The Monkey on Your Back
by The One And Only Lobster
Summary: One-shot. More drunken Toph/Sokka shenanigans, this time on Ember Island about five years post-war. Enjoy!


A/N: I started this one a while back but never finished. However, it's Tokka Week again, just in time for Valentine's, and the first day's prompt is "Shenanigan." Title comes from the song Anyone Else But You. Be proud of me; it's my first not-drabble in months! :P And, of course, Happy Tokka Week and Happy Valentine's Day! :D

* * *

The Monkey on Your Back

As usual, Sokka and Toph were leaving a party early. Much more unusually, they hadn't sneaked out, but had in fact been banished from it. As they made their slightly drunken way down to the beach, they were lamenting this fact and arguing about whose fault it was.

"Zuko really shouldn't have kicked us out." Sokka complained. "Our singing wasn't _that_ bad."

"He didn't kick us out because of the singing, genius. He kicked us out because you were making fun of his Firelord clothes. Which he is not even wearing right now, I might add," Toph said grumpily.

"Well, they look like a dress, OK? They make him look dumb. You wouldn't understand," Sokka added sagely.

Toph punched him.

"Ow," Sokka complained, rubbing his arm. "Was that really necessary?"

"Yes. And that wasn't just for your comment just now - although that was dumb too - it was for ruining my song. I was just getting to the best part!"

"I don't think anybody else appreciated what piece of clothing you were going to sell for rum and gin next, though." Sokka paused to think. "Well, I thought it was a good song. But no one else."

"I know you thought it was good. You kept singing the chorus about how all our money was going to booze and ladies. But then you interrupted me and started talking about how Zuko looks dumb in a dress!"

"Well, he does," Sokka argued, "Zuko looks very dumb in his Firelordy robes. He would look better if he sold them for rum, was my point!"

"Well, I think all of our friends got that point, but you didn't have to ruin my song!" Toph argued huffily.

"Sorry," Sokka said meekly.

Toph kicked at the sand with her foot. "Oh, fine, I forgive you." She punched him again as she added, "Just don't do it again, OK?"

"OK," Sokka agreed, glad that she wasn't going to Earthbend him into the ground, or worse.

Having reached the beach, they sat down a few yards above where the ocean was breaking on the shore. A few minutes later, Toph said, "Anyway, I don't think Suki liked the part of the chorus you were singing. About spending all your money on ladies."

"Why? We're not together anymore. We haven't been for over a year."

"You were singing the part about the ladies louder than the rest of the chorus," Toph explained.

"Oh," said Sokka, flopping back on the sand. Then, after about a minute, "I need a drink."

Toph grinned. "Lucky for you I managed to smuggle some out with me and I'm not mad at you anymore," she said, reaching into the pockets of her dress and pulling out a couple of glass bottles.

"Have I mentioned how glad I am we met you?" Sokka asked.

"You could mention it more often," Toph said. This sort of exchange had become something of a joke between them, and they laughed, clinking their bottles together and drinking deeply.

o0o

After at least half an hour of companionable silence, watching and listening to the waves crash further down the beach and drinking a considerable amount of rum, Toph stood up.

"It's gotten really hot," she declared a bit thickly, tugging her dress over her head, completely ignoring the buttons and ties up the back. Shortly, and after only getting stuck a few times, Toph was standing in her underwear. She threw the dress aside and sat back down. "That's better."

Sokka looked over at her, clearly thinking highly of this idea. "Good plan," he agreed. "I'm hot too." He then proceeded to wriggle his way out of his own clothes, only falling over once, when he was trying to get his left leg out of his pants. Soon, he too was wearing only underwear, but instead of sitting back down he stood looking at the ocean, thinking.

After a minute or so he said, "I have an idea," bent down and scooped Toph up in his arms, and started on down the beach toward the waves.

"What idea?" Toph asked, "And why can't I walk there myself?"

"Because you can't swim," Sokka answered.

Toph looked confused for a second, then said, eyes widening, "Oh no! We are _not_ going swimming! I am not even close to drunk enough for that to seem like a good idea! Put me down!"

As she said that, though, splashing alerted Toph that they had hit the water and she changed her mind. "Never mind!" she said. "Let's just go back to shore, OK?"

"Relax," said Sokka, setting her down. "I won't let you drown."

Toph cringed as she touched the water, but quickly found that it barely came up to her waist; on Sokka it stopped somewhere along his thighs. She frowned.

"See?" Sokka said, "The water's not deep here at all."

"OK, I'll give you that. Now, why are we out here again?" Toph asked.

"Well, you said you were hot," Sokka said.

"No, _you_ said you were hot, Mr. South Pole. _I_ said I was fine. And now I'm cold," Toph complained.

Ignoring this, Sokka stood close to her. "OK, now the first thing about swimming--"

"Sokka, I didn't ask for a swimming lesson," Toph interrupted, turning and wading back to shore. Sokka followed.

About halfway there, when the water was around her knees, a wave caught her and knocked her down. Looking startled, she went underwater for a moment, then came up shaking her head and trying to clear the water from her nose and eyes. Sokka was there in an instant, reaching for her hand and pulling her back upright.

"Are you OK?" he asked at the same time Toph said, "See? Bad idea!"

"I'm fine," she started to say, then stopped. They had ended up close together after Sokka had pulled her up. Very close. So close, in fact, that she wasn't cold anymore. Not in the least. She didn't even seem to have room to breathe. Instead, she just stood there, frozen.

Sokka seemed to notice their proximity at the same time she did, but unlike Toph, he didn't freeze. Instead, he impulsively leaned down and kissed her. Immediately, before he even started to pull away, he regretted it. What in the name of the Earth spirits would she do to him for this? He jerked his head back at the thought.

"What was _that_?" Toph asked, surprised.

"I kissed you," Sokka said, the _I'm-so-sorry_ right behind it, but before he even had a chance to say it--

"That was a kiss?" Toph asked, seemingly scornful but with one of her unique ear-to-ear grins on her face. "Sokka, I think you need more practice!" With that, she leaned up and kissed him deeply.

"Now come on," she said, finally pulling away and grabbing his hand. "We need to get to shore so we can practice some more."

Laughing, hand in hand, they splashed through the surf toward the sand.


End file.
